Conditioning device



June 2, 1936. w. s-rELKENs l 2,042,559"` CONDITIONING DEVICE Filed NOV.2, 1934 Figl.

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Patented June 2, 1936 UNITED STATES- PATENT OFFICE CONDITIONING DEVICEApplication November 2, 1934, Serial No. 751,247 In Germany November 17,1933 11 Claims.

This invention relates to conditioning devices and is herein illustratedand described as embodied in an apparatus for conditioning box toepieces, counters, and similar articles.

It is a common practice in the manufacture of shoes to render stiffeningmembers, such as box toe pieces and counters, temporarily limp andpliable by subjecting them to the action of a conditioning liquid. Thestiffening member while in this limp condition is then assembled withthe other upper materials upon a last, and the shoe upper thus assembledis stretched and pulled tightly about the last in the course of thepullingover and lasting operations. As the conditioning liquidevaporates, the stiifening member, thus Vconformed to the shape of thelast, resumes its In order to obtain the best resul-ts and to lessen thetime required for evaporation of the conditioning liquid from the lastedupper, it is desirable to remove the stiffening member from theconditioning liquid before it becomes saturated. Proper timing of theimmersion of the stilening members in the conditioning liquid istherefore important.

It is an object of the present invention to provide an improvedapparatus by which conditioning operations of the character abovereferred to may conveniently be carried out.

In accordance with a feature of the invention, there is provided anelongated closed recep- `tacle supported midway between its ends fortilt- "ing movement to a position wherein a conditioning liquid will owfrom one end of the receptacle toward the other end. The illustratedreceptacle is separated into two compartments by a baiile which preventssloshing of the condition- 'ing liquid, and a pair of lracks or cagesare positioned at localities adjacent to the respective time duringwhich the work pieces should be subjected to the action of the liquid,which timing deivice is actuated by the tilting movement of thereceptacle. The illustrated timing device consists of a pair of glassbulbs attached to the receptacle and connected at their lower portionsby a tube which enables a colored liquid to ow from one bulb into theother as the receptacle is tilted.

These and other features of the invention will 5 now be described asembodied in an illustrative machine and pointed out in the appendedclaims, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, in which Fig. 1is an elevational view partly in section of 10 the improved apparatus;

Fig. 2 is a View similar to Fig. l but showing the apparatus in adiierent position;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken on the line III-III of Fig. 2; and

Fig. 4 is a detail showing of a portion of a timing device with whichthe apparatus is equipped.

The illustrated conditioning apparatus comprises a receptacle I0 for aconditioning liquid L. The receptacle I0 is divided into twosubstantial- 20 ly equal compartments by a partition I2 having in itslower portion a plurality of perforations I4 which permit a ready flowof the conditioning liquid of one compartment to the other whilepreventing sloshing of the liquid. Each of the com- 25 partments has atop wall I6, the two top walls together forming an obtuse dihedralangle; and each of the compartments has also a bottom wall I8, whichbottom walls also form a similar dihedral angle the vertex of which,however, may be 30 conveniently rounded. The receptacle I0 is mounted atits lower portion for tilting movement upon trunnion pins 20 each ofwhich trunnion pins is supported by a block 22. The blocks 22 arepositioned on opposite sides of the receptacle I0 35 and are secured toa work table 24. The axis 0I theA trunnion pins 20 is horizontal andlies within the partition I2, or centrally with respect to 'thereceptacle. Supported within each of the compartments 40 is a rack orcage 26 consisting of a rectangular box-shaped member having an open topand lperforations 28 formed in its bottom. The receptacle I0 thusconstitutes a carrier for the cages 26. The cages 26 may conveniently be45 formed of sheet metal. Each of the cages has an outwardly extendingflange 30 at its top which rests upon the upper surface of the wall I6.The remaining portion of the cage extends downwardly through a suitableopening formed in the upper 50 wall I6. A cover 32 is provided for eachof the cages 26. Within each of the cages 26 are a plurality ofupstanding supports 34 for holding work pieces in upright position.

In the operation of the apparatus as so far 55 described, work pieces W,for example box toe stiffeners, are placed in the cage which occupiesthe position above the level of the conditioning liquid L, namely theright hand cage as viewed in Fig. 1. The receptacle IIJ is then tiltedto the position shown in Fig. 2 whereupon the conditioning liquid flowsinto the right hand compartment and through the perforated bottom wallof the cage 26 until the work pieces are wholly immersed in the liqui-d.While the work pieces of the right hand cage are thus immersed, theoperator loads the left hand cage, which now Yis above thelevel of theliquid, with untreated work pieces. After the work pieces in the righthand cage have been subjected to the action of the liquid for a suicientlength of time, the'receptacle l0 is tilted back into the position shownin Fig. l and the work pieces in the left hand cage are similarlyimmersed while those in the right hand cage have been raised above thelevel of the liquid to enable them to drain.

Secured to the work table 24V adjacent to each end of the receptacle. l0is a spring'v metal, latch 36 which engages a projection 38 upon thecorresponding end of the receptacle l0 to hold the Areceptacle inwhichever position it may occupy. Each of the compartments further isprovided with a drain plug 40. Y V

In order to enable the operator properly to gage the length of timeduring which the work pieces in either cage are immersed, there isprovided a timing device comprising a pair of glass bulbs 42 connectedat their lower portions by a tube 44. In the top of each of the bulbs 42is an opening 46 which serves as a vent and through which a coloredindicating liquid may be introduced into the bulbs. One of the bulbs 42is Secured by spring clips 48 to the side wall of one of thecompartments of the receptacle and the other bulb issecured by similarspring clips 48 to the side wall of the other compartment- It is evidentthat as the receptacle is tilted from the position shown in Fig. 1 tothat shown in Fig. 2 the colored indicating liquid will now slowlythrough the tube 44 from the left hand bulb 42 into the right hand bulb42, and that a denite Vinterval of time will be required for all of thecolored indicating liquid to flow from one of the bulbs into the otherbulb. This time interval may be varied as desired by employing a greateror less amount of the coloredv liquid. This timing device enables theoperator to ascertain at a glance the proper instant in which he shouldreverse the position of the receptacle I0.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent of the United States ist 1.-. A conditioning apparatuscomprising a. pair of cl-osed compartments having communication witheach other, a support constructed and arranged for movement of saidcompartments to a position wherein a conditioning liquid in onecompartment will flow into the other compartwherein a conditioningliquid will flow from one end of said receptacle toward the other end,and a pair of racks positioned at localities adjacent to the respectiveends of said receptacle for retaining work pieces when the receptacle istilted.

4. A conditioning apparatus comprising a receptacle having twocompartments communicating with each other, the bottom walls of the twocompartments forming an obtuse dihedral angle and the top walls of thetwo compartments forming a similar dihedral angle, a pivotal supportabout which said recepta-cle may be tilted to cause a liquid to flowfrom one compartment into the other, and a baille between saidcompartments to prevent sloshing of th'e liquid when the receptacle istilted.

5. A conditioning apparatus comprising an elongated receptacle forcontaining a conditioning liquid, a cage adjacent to each end of saidreceptacle for supporting work pieces, and a support constructed andarranged for movement of said receptacle from a position wherein thework pieces in the cage adjacent to one end of said receptacle areimmersed in the conditioning liquid to a position wherein theconditioning liquid will flow toward the -other end of the receptacle toact. upon the work pieces in the other cage, leaving the work pieceswhich were first immersed to drain.

6. A conditioning apparatus comprising means for simultaneouslyimmersing one group of work pieces in a conditioning. liquid whileremoving a previously immersed group of work pieces from the liquid toenable the previously immersed group to drain, and a device actuatedbysaid immersing means for indicating the desired length of time ofimmersion.

7. A conditioning apparatus comprising a pair of cages for supportingwork pieces, a carrier for said cages constructed and arranged formovement from a position wherein the work'pieces in one cage areimmersed in a conditioning liquid and thework pieces in the other cageare above the level of the conditioning liquid to a position wherein thework pieces which were above the pieces in one of said compartments areimmersed in a. conditioning liquid to a position wherein` theconditioning liquid will flow into the other compartment to act uponwork pieces in theother compartment, leaving the Work pieces which wererst immersedA to drain, and a timing device operated by said receptacleupon said movement thereof to indicate a desired length of time ofdraining and soaking of the work pieces in the respective compartments.

9. A conditioning apparatus comprising a re *$5 ceptacle having twocompartments communicating with each other, a support constructed andarranged for movement of said receptacle from a position wherein workpieces in one of said compartments are immersed in a conditioning liquidto a position wherein the conditioning liquid will i ow into the othercompartment to act upon `work pieces in the other compartment, leavingthe work pieces which were rst immersed to d.roirl. ia1:l.i

a gravity operated timing device carried by said receptacle and actuatedby said movement thereof to indicate a desired length of time ofdraining and soaking of the work pieces in the respective compartments.

10. A conditioning apparatus comprising a receptacle having twocompartments communicating with each other, said receptacle beingmounted for movement from a position wherein Work pieces in one of saidcompartments are immersed in a conditioning liquid to a position whereinthe conditioning liquid will flow into the other compartment to act uponwork pieces in the other compartment, leaving the work pieces which werefirst immersed to drain, and a timing device carried by said receptacleconsisting of a pair of connected bulbs for an indicating liquid which,upon said movement of said receptacle, flows from one of said bulbs intothe other bulb and thereby measures a denite time interval during whichthe work pieces in the respective compartments may be permitted to drainand to soak.

11. A conditioning apparatus comprising a receptacle having twocompartments communicating with each other, a cage in each of saidcompartments for supporting work pieces, a pivotal support upon whichsaid receptacle may be tilted from a position wherein the work pieces inthe cage of one of said compartments are immersed in a conditioningliquid to a position wherein the conditioning liquid will ow into theother compartment to act upon the work pieces in the other cage, leavingthe work pieces which were rst immersed to drain, and a timing devicecarried by said receptacle consisting of a pair of bulbs connected by atube, said bulbs and tube being constructed and arranged to enable anindicating liquid to flow from one bulb into the other bulb upon saidtilting movement of said receptacle, the flow of the indicating Vliquidserving to measure a denite time interval during which the work piecesin the respective receptacles may be per- 20 mitted to drain and tosoak.

WILLY STELKENS.

